Dreamfall Chronicles
by Phoenix Lennox
Summary: This is a sort of sequel to the game: Dreamfall. Something that I just wrote to pass the time and to have fun. A tribute if you will. It's about a girl name Chloe who seems to be connecting with the main character of the game, Zoe Castillo. Hope you like.
1. Chapter 1

**Dreamfall Chronicles**

**Author's Note**:

A Dreamfall fanfiction by Phoenix Lennox.

Heyyyyyy! As indicated above, this is a fanfic based on Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. A great game with a movieish experience. I'm not that good at writing but it is a sort of hobby that kept on yelling at me to just write so I did. If you haven't played Dreamfall, you would probably be lost while reading this fanfic so before you read this, please play the game. Shouldn't be too hard to find. You can buy it off Steam or pirate it. I don't really care mostly because it is none of my business but you should really buy it to give credit to all of the hard work Funcom did. This is kind of random but I am about to dump my troubles on you so if you don't want some idiot talking about his life to you, please skip onto the story.

I'm fourteen and I go to some high school somewhere. Like any other parent, my parents talk about how smart I am and how I can go to some university in Ivy League and all that stuff. I might be a bit smart but kids still need to play right? So I slacked off like any other kid who likes to play. As it happens, this began to send my mark down. What used to be a 95 would become a ing 70. Of course, this didn't sit well with my parents. My mom just sat down and began a whole lecture that stated some random stuff about how smart I am and blah blah blah. Then to top it off, my dad saw the amount of absences in class I had and hit the roof. I skipped classes. (Notice that it's in the past). So I am now grounded with nothing to do except study until the third term. So naturally, I tell them I have a lot of homework and sit in front of the computer typing this thing and talking with friends on Msn. So hopefully, I'll get a better average and pull myself up to where I was before. Thank you for listening to my absolutely pointless rant and enjoy the story.

This program contains mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.

Sorry about that. I've always wanted to say that. Ahem. So. Feature Presentation?

**A Beginning ****within****an**** End**

Chloe Ashcroft was unlike any other sixteen year old in her school. She was quite popular among the community. Boys would never classify her as sexy but definitely cute. A very gentle and kind person. She was well liked among teachers and as enough friends to write each of their names in font size 8 and post it on her bedroom wall. She had long, jet black hair reaching down between her shoulder blades. She had brilliant blue eyes with a cute face. On top of all that, she had a great figure. Of course, she was asked out by an alarming number of boys but none of them seemed right for her. An empty void resided in her heart yearning for the love she craved to receive. Yet, nobody came into her life. She sat in class, looking forward to a party coming later on today.

"All right. I know that the day is coming to an end and you want to enjoy your holiday but what's a holiday without homework?" asked Ms. Cray.

A collective groan rose from the students.

"I want you to look up a strange, unexplainable situation and write a report to be handed in at the end of the holiday. You can create your own explanation from your thoughts or collaborate with your classmates. I want at least 3 pages type written. Joey, don't make your font size 60 this time or I will fail you."

"Yes Ms. Cray." giggled Joey from the back.

"Any questions?" asked the teacher.

Chloe raised her hand.

"Yes my dear?"

"Um…can we do it on a disappearance of a certain person or a belief of something?" asked Chloe.

"Of course. As long as it is unexplainable scientifically. Any other questions? No? All right. I know you're all anxious to go so you can leave 5 minutes early. Michael, the principal wants to see you and Neil, please don't mess up The Wire over the holidays or else The Eye _will_ arrest you. Have a great holiday!"

Everybody filed out of the class as was the rule in the presence of Ms. Cray. The moment they stepped out of the door frame, students ran out screaming down the hall.

Chloe walked slowly towards the door with no intention to celebrate with a vocal signature. She waved goodbye to the teacher and was immediately greeted by her best friends.

"Hey Chloe! You want to go see a movie before the party?" asked Jenn.

Jenn was her best friend since grade 2. She had connections that no one would suspect her to have. If you wanted someone's reputation to go downhill, just ask her to get it out on the grapevine and soon after, the whole school would know about it. If you wanted to know about something, Jenn would tell you in a heartbeat. Jenn was almost the exact opposite of Chloe. She was considered sexy, not cute. Her hair reached her shoulders with lime green eyes. She got around to everyone pretty fast. Her grades were gradually increasing after she met Chloe but they hovered around the 80s.

"No thanks. I wanna go and set myself up for the party tonight and finish a bit of the homework."

"You know, I never understand you…You're going to take seven hours just to put on some makeup, pick out a dress and finish some homework? Come on! It's the start of break! Let's have some fun. Then you can do your homework. Oh wait…I almost forgot. I heard that Johnny is planning to ask you out today so let's hurry up and get out of here! Unless…you have the hots for him."

Chloe smiled. It's good to know that some things never change.

"How do you know these things? Wait, never mind. Let's just go."

Chloe and Jenny walked down the now empty corridor and climbed down the stairs to the ground floor where she was instantly met by the person she was trying to avoid.

_O gods. O well…_

"Hey Chloe!" greeted Johnny.

"Hi!" said Chloe, less enthusiastic.

"Hey uh…you want to go see a movie with me? Just…the two of us?"

Chloe had to admit. John wasn't that bad. Good muscle but…he just, wasn't for her.

"Umm….I'm really sorry but I have plans for this afternoon. Like…right now…um…sorry….about…ya.."

She walked around him and sped to the door with Jenn falling in step beside her.

"Ha ha! You should have seen the look on his face. Priceless." laughed Jenn.

"…" She was at a loss of words. "Uh…you know what? Let's go see a movie."

The two of them started along the courtyard arm in arm. A dull thunk hit the ground as a basketball teetered across the ground. Laughter filled their ears originating from students scattered across the court.

"So…what do you want to see?" asked Jenn. "Wanna invite anyone else?"

"Um…I thought you had this all figured out. I don't know. Anything would be fine."

At that moment a wave passed through the Earth. Everything froze in place. Except for…Chloe.

"What the? Jenn? Are you still there? Hello?"

She passed her hand in front of her face but no reaction showed. Suddenly, strange scenes of a girl she recognized flashed through her mind. One after another.

_What are you still doing home dad? The train doesn't leave for Bombay until later so I thought I'd sleep in for a change._

_Hey Liv. You want to come to the party? Sure. I'll bring my charm and a bottle of Tequila._

_Sorry. I'm trying to be here Jana. Don't be sorry. Be on time._

_Save April Ryan. Find her…Save her._

Chloe screamed in pain. Her head felt as if it were splitting open. "What's happening to me!?"

Just as it started, it was over just as fast. She was on the ground with Jenn kneeling beside her.

Chloe's breath came short and quick. "What happened?" she managed to ask.

"You suddenly collapsed. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine. I saw some…things…never mind. Let's go…movies."

"If you're hurt, we shouldn't go."

"It's fine. C'mon."

Jenn helped her up. They made their way towards the movies ignoring curious onlookers.

_What was that? Who was that girl? Is something wrong with me? That didn't happen. I just fell, passed out, and had a dream. That's acceptable right?_

But it wasn't. She knew something happened. Something…

Chloe and Jenny paid and followed a couple into the theatre. A massive room filled with millions of chairs. There was, of course, no screen. A 3-D hologram would be projected into the far side of the hall looking as real as anybody in existence. They took their seats and waited for the movie to begin. People began to file into the theatre. Plenty of space to fit them all. Ten minutes passed. The projector hummed as it gained power. A hush settled over the audience all focus on the 3-D image.

Advertisements showed up in the first couple minutes of the hologram. The much anticipated project WATIcorp had been working on. The Dreamer was set to release in 4 months.

"I can't wait for this to come out. I can just fantasize a perfect life." said Jenn gazing off into the distance.

Chloe smiled but couldn't suppress a strange feeling inside of her. Like something bad was going to happen.

The movie went on. "Nothing too exciting" admitted Chloe. "Hey Jenn. How many people are going to the party tomorrow?"

No answer…

"Jenn?" Chloe turned her head and looked straight at her friend. Her eyes weren't moving. Forget the eyes, her entire body was frozen.

_O no…not again._

Memories that didn't belong to her flashed in her mind's eye.

_Hi Reza! How's it been going lately? I'm fine. Very busy but…I'm fine._

_I guess I should thank you for saving my life. My name is Chang. Helena Chang. Now what were you doing in my office? I'm doing an errand for my friend Jericho. The package._

_Reza doesn't have a cat…_

_Hands up! What are you doing in Jericho's apartment? I was supposed to meet him here and…_

Pain pulsed through her head but this time, she couldn't scream. Nothing came out of her mouth. Then…everything went black…

She woke up. Her vision was blurry but she could still make out sounds.

"I didn't find anything wrong with Ms. Ashford. I assure you it was just some abnormal wave in the air that just messed up her mental system. I have a really busy schedule so please…

Chloe sat up. She heard a shriek of surprise and was immediately embraced by her little, 10 year old sister, Cindy.

"I was so worried!" cried Cindy.

Chloe laughed and hugged her back.

"I'm fine. Really. I just…I don't know."

Chloe looked around and found that she was lying on her bed.

Cindy was short for her age. She, like her sister had black hair but was streaked with blue in different parts. She too had blue eyes like Chloe. They resembled each other so much in looks and personality. It would be safe to say that Cindy was a clone of Chloe in her prime years.

They lived together without parents to nourish them. Their mother died when giving birth to Cindy. Chloe never blamed Cindy for her mothers' death but Cindy used cry about it at night. Their father committed suicide when he heard that death took his love from him. It was just them two. Ever since.

"Hey Chloe. I'm gonna sleep over at a friend's house today. You have the party right? So you won't be lonely."

"Sure…fine with me…hey…let me ask you something." hesitated Chloe

"Sure! What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong…just…have you ever seen a girl about nineteen, twentyish, with a pink top and blue jeans? Black hair and pony-tail? I keep on seeing her in my mind."

"Um…no…you are freaking me out. Oh. Jenny told me to call her when you woke up. She was pretty scared."

"Oh…okay. By the way, what happened?"Asked Chloe.

"I don't know. Jenny carried you home saying that you weren't well. I met her on the doorstep."

"Oh…okay. I'll just ask her then.

"Byeeeeeeee" giggled Cindy.

Chloe smiled and watched her step out the door into fresh air. She picked up her mobile on the desk and dialed Jenn's number. She waited for an answer but, it never came. Static erupted from the mobile's speaker. From within the static, Chloe could hear a distinct whisper.

_Cas…Casti…Castillo…Zoe Castillo. Find her. Bring her back…__Zoe Castil—_

"Chloe? Thank god you're okay. Do you feel good enough to go the party?"

Chloe paused and tried to make sense of this.

_What was that? Is that the girls' name? Zoe Castillo?_

"Chloe? You there?"

"Oh…yea. Sorry about that. I um…sorry."

"So…you feeling okay? You might not want to go to the party if you think you're going to pass out again. Some boys might take that chance and feel you up."

"Jenn!"

"Sorry." giggled Jenn, "Just wanted to see if you were still yourself. Is there anything I can do?"

"Um…no. I'll go to the party tonight. And um…oh! Can you do something for me?"

"What do you think I just asked?"

"Do you know anything on a girl named Zoe Castillo?"

"Zoe Castillo? It doesn't ring a bell. Is she important?"

"I think so. Can you dig around a bit? I want to know about her."

"Sure I guess. Now get ready. The party is in two hours."

"What!? O god…I have to go. See you there."

Chloe could hear Jenn laughing on the other line but hung up.

_Two hours? I was out that long? How am I going to do my hair that quickly?_

Chloe stepped into the house already filled with people. A lot of people, she knew. She scanned the room for Jenn and found her against a wall talking with some friends. Smiling, Chloe walked over to Jenn.

"Hey Choley! You look nice."

"You too." smiled Chloe.

"You _are_ feeling okay right?" asked Jenn looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Hopefully." answered Chloe.

"C'mon! Let's take some shots at something. Do you like Tequila?"

"Um…I don't like alcohol…"

"That's because you haven't done any before. You will love it."

She gestured to the bartender. "Tequila please."

Chloe tried to pull away from Jenn but her grip stayed true. "Jenn…" she started.

"You will love it. Trust me."

She handed Chloe a glass. She hesitated before taking a sip. It tasted like— (I haven't tasted Tequila before so I'll just make something up) – sweet honey on her tongue. It had a fizzy texture and calmed her nerves.

"See? It's not so bad is it?"

"It's okay…" she admitted.

Chloe took some more and began to feel light-headed.

_O god…stupid Jenn…now I'm drunk and I'll end up having a hangover in the morning…maybe a little rest will do me good._

She dreamed of Zoe again. Yet while she was dreaming, she could make out her actions in reality. She couldn't control them.

_I'll never do alcohol as long as I live again._

She dreamed of some memories from the past. But they didn't belong to her.

_Venice._

_An underground cavern._

_Marcuria._

_Japan_

Chloe sat up in a bed that didn't belong to her. Her hair was a mess and she was generally sticky. Her top and skirt were on the floor.

_O god…I didn't…know…holy….I…who…I had…what?_

Last night was a blur. She couldn't remember anything.

_Come on! Think!_

It gradually came back. She was approached by a male. A well-muscled boy same age as her. A tattoo on the arm. But she couldn't do anything!

_I couldn't control anything. Oh my god!_

Chloe put her top and skirt back on. She walked over to a blank wall and sat down against it. Then, she cried. Not noisily, but silently. Only she could hear her voice breaking up but there were tears streaming down the side of her face.

The sound of footsteps neared the room. She braced herself for anything that could happen. The door opened and Jenn stepped in. She looked like a mess. Her shirt was torn with her hair finally living a life of its own. Chloe stayed unmoving and silent as Jenn sat down beside her.

There was a painful silence. "Are you alright?" asked Jenn.

"No. I'm not. I'm only sixteen! Why did it happen so early?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that you got drunk really easily…"

After a moment, Chloe asked, "Why is your shirt torn?"

"Um…I tried to follow you when you were lead upstairs by that boy but two other boys stopped me. They asked me if I wanted to…you know. I said no. It didn't really matter to them. They were stronger than me and…I was sort of…forced to…yeah."

"Oh…well…are you okay?"

"The only thing hurt is my pride. And maybe my privates,"

Chloe smiled for the first time that morning. Jenn always knew how to lighten the mood.

"Don't you even care about what happened?" asked Chloe.

"Of course I do. I want to try and make the best out of this situation. It proves to be hard when you stay negative all the time."

Chloe put her arm around Jenn. "Sorry." She smiled.

She laughed and soon after, Jenn joined in. But no matter how hard she laughed, she could not dispel the stain placed upon on her conscience.

**End Note**:

So…I hope you liked that. This obviously will be continued so if you enjoyed it, wait for the next installment. I'm sorry that this one was pretty short. Please review and tell me what you think. I'm obviously not the best writer and I like some constructive criticism. Not flaming paragraphs saying that I suck. I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes in this chapter but I don't have the time to check over it and spellcheck as failed me more than once.

I hope you're all rooting for Chloe and hoping that she doesn't die or something. I don't think the storyline is that bad though…

So…I hope you liked it.

-Phoenix Lennox-


	2. Chapter 2

**Dreamfall Chronicles**

**Author's Note 2****nd**** Time:**

Hiya again! Itz me again D. This is the 2nd installment of Dreamfall Chronicles. I hope you liked the last chapter. Anywayz, its March Break now. (For me). I think my marks are picking up a bit in school. I'm still not allowed to play games on the computer ((--)). I just have to make up for it somehow. Sorry if you thought that the last chapter was a bit short. It was late and I just wanted to finish the story up before going to bed. This one…hopefully, is longer.

So…quick summary on the story. If you just read the first one, you can just skip onto the actual writing. I'm sorry if this summary sucks. I never did well on English tests.

It starts of with a well-over average girl. Cute and cuddly named Chloe. Everything seems normal in her sixteen-year old life until she began seeing strange visions of a girl's memories that we should all know. Zoe Castillo. We met Chloe's best friend named Jenny and her little sister Cindy. In the end, she went to a party and had another vision of Zoe. Now we move into the second installment. Enjoy!

**The Calm Before The Storm**

Chloe opened her eyes into the solitude of her own room. She was lying on her bed listening to the birds chirping outside.

_Another dream of her again. I should get myself checked up._

"Oww…I guess they weren't kidding about handovers."

Her head felt like a frying pan left out in the searing rays of the sun for several days. She could vaguely remember what happened last night.

After Chloe and Jenn's little meeting, they walked home to get cleaned up. The walk was quite uneventful. Pedestrians looked peculiarly at Jenn with her slightly torn shirt but she paid them no mind.

There was a knock on the door.

Chloe got up slowly and got dressed. She ran downstairs. The knocks were growing louder and louder. She opened the door only to find her little sister looking quite tired.

Chloe laughed.

"How was the sleepover?"

"Imgonoogosleep." Murmured Cindy.

Cindy zombie-walked through the door and dropped like a sack of flour onto the carpet. Chloe smiled and walked over to her.

"I don't believe it. She's asleep."

Chloe picked her up and walked upstairs towards the bedroom shaking her head. She lay Cindy down onto her bed and tucked her in. 

_Should I take a shower or eat breakfast…?_

Chloe started to walk towards the door when she was stopped by a moan from her sister.

"Hey Cindy. You alright?"

Cindy continued moaning. Her eyes rolled up from behind her eyelids and she was as stiff as a marble statue.

"Cindy? Are you okay? If you're joking, I'll kill you. I'm scared as hell right now."

A rasping voice came out of her voice.

"Cindy? You're scaring me."

Suddenly, a familiar voice mixed with the blowing sound of wind filled the room as Cindy's lips began to move.

At first, it came as a whisper. Barely decipherable. The voice became clearer as time passed. Chloe was on the verge of calling for someone but stopped as Cindy spoke with a different voice.

_Can you hear me?_

"Um…yeah…what are you doing to my sister!" shrieked Chloe.

_I'm just using her to talk to you. For some reason, you're the one with the closest connection with me. I have no idea why but…anyway. I'm Zoe._

"Zoe? You mean the one from the visions?"

_What visions?_

"Um…I got visions of someone named Zoe. Is that you?"

_Wow…I guess it is. Okay, I'm about to tell you something outrageous right now and you probably won't believe it but…_

"Go ahead. I'll believe anything at this point."

_Okay then. There are two dimensions existing side by side. The one that you are in is called Stark and the other one is Arcadia. Stark is the world of science. Arcadia is the world of magic. I just learned this two weeks ago so some of this may not be one-hundred percent accurate. You probably know that WATIcorp is releasing something called The Dreamer right?_

"Yup. I can't wait for it!"

_You might want to rethink that. This is probably where I'll lose you but The Dreamer will screw up your mind when you use it and something bad will happen._

"So um…how does the two worlds and The Dreamer relate to each other?"

_I'm not entirely sure but the production of The Dreamer in Stark is messing with Arcadia. That's what this weird guy told me. The balance of the two worlds is tilting and soon the world will come to an end…or so he says._

"Right…do you have any proof at all?"

_The Static is the result of the production of The Dreamer. Some strange guy told me that but it kind of makes sense. The Static began around the time when WATIcorp announced Project Alchera._

"I guess…so what have I got to do with all of this. I'm just a normal girl."

_You're the only one I can contact in Stark. You have to exploit WATIcorp's intentions…somehow._

"Why can't you do it? You know more than me."

_No I don't. I told you everything I know just now. Besides…I'm stuck._

"Stuck? Where? I'll try to get you out so you can do this instead of me. I'm kind of shy…"

_I'm somewhere…I don't really know. The surface of this place looks like ice but it isn't slippery. It isn't cold either. And there's this man. He looks kind of scary but probably wise. So…I can't really go anywhere._

"How did you end up there?"

_I got drugged and something happened to me. I'm in a coma right now in Casablanca. Look. There really isn't a lot of time. It's going to be released soon right? You have to exploit their actions somehow._

"I'll think I'll just find a way to free you. It was nice meeting you Zoe."

_You too. Good luck._

"…"

A silent hush filled the room. Cindy's lips were her's again.

"Cindy? Are you okay?"

"Um…yeah…did something happen? I feel dizzy."

"Nothing. I think you're just tired. Go to sleep."

Chloe got up and walked downstairs. She didn't think it would be wise to reveal her conversation to anybody yet. They probably wouldn't believe her anyway. She stuffed some bread in the toaster and poured out a little cereal for herself.

After breakfast, Chloe did what any other girl would do. Take a shower. She lay down and let the water cascade over her sleek body. She lay still for a couple of minutes before reaching for some soap. Chloe cleaned herself and allowed the water to wash over the soap suds. She began to reach for the tap to turn it off but found herself falling forward with thoughts that were not hers penetrating her mind.

_Not now…_

_A strange green man presented himself in her thoughts. Alvin._

_A man's lips were reaching for hers. Damien._

_The strange winter landscape. Faith._

Chloe couldn't take anymore. She let darkness wash over her.

She woke to the sound of a female voice shouting unfamiliar words. After a minute, objects began to focus and the words made sense.

"Chloe! Are you in there? Answer me! You're scaring me! I'm…I'm going to break the door down! That's going to cost money. You won't like it! Open the door!"

Chloe searched for any word to tell her that everything was alright but all that came out was a murmur.

"I'm going to count to three…1…2…3!"

The door slammed open. At that moment, Chloe gathered her thoughts and screamed, "Stop!"

Cindy ran forward stepping over the wrecked door with a look of anger mingled with worry.

"Chloe! You're bleeding!"

"I…get out! I'm naked!" said Chloe as she put a hand to her forehead. Crimson streaked across her hand.

"We're sisters! Come on! I know how a female's body looks like anyway. Let's put something on that cut."

Cindy half-carried and half-dragged Chloe to a cabinet on the wall and pulled out some alcohol.

"Hold still. This is going to hurt."

"No no no no, I'm fine. Really. I'll just wash this and everything will be—"

Chloe let out an ear-piercing scream. Tears streaked her eyes with pain. She thrashed around trying to break free of Cindy's grip but her headlock held true.

"Shut up. I'm done. Why didn't you answer me?"

Chloe didn't answer and just lay on the ground whimpering and holding her forehead.

"Don't be such a crybaby."

"That…hurt…"

Cindy laughed. "You did it to me once. Remember when I came home with that huge cut down my arm? You just told me to shut up and just poured the bottle of alcohol on my arm. Now put some clothes on and feed me breakfast."

It took a whole 15 minutes to get dressed and slap together a quick breakfast. Chloe's forehead still ached but she decided to let it go.

After breakfast, she sat down and tried to think about what had happened. Her encounter with Zoe had allowed her to believe things that she would have laughed at a day ago. 

_What should I do? I can't just allow this to pass by…but I can't just go out shouting that The Dreamer is messing things up here. I would look like an idiot and probably get arrested for public disturbance. Oh my god…what do I do?_

Chloe buried her head in her hands and immediately pulled back grimacing at the pain embedded in her forehead. 

_Wait a minute. Zoe said that she was in a coma in Casablanca right? Maybe I should visit._

"Hey Cindy!"

"What's up?"

"You want to go on a trip?"

"Um…it depends. Is it far?"

_Maybe I shouldn't drag her into this._

"It's very far. On the other side of the world."

"You don't look like you're kidding…nah. If it's that far…no. I'll stay with one of my friends. Have fun!"

Chloe laughed and ran upstairs. Her mobile began to ring. She stepped over Patty (Her Teddy Bear) and picked up the phone.

"Chloe? It's Jenn."

"Hi! What's up?"

"Remember when you asked me to find anything about that girl, Zoe Castillo? Well…I looked some stuff up on The Wire and I think I found her."

"Great! What did you find?"

"Her name is Zoe Castillo. I can send you a picture if you want. Wait a minute…"

Sending…

Chloe took a look at the picture.

"It's her…" she breathed.

"I found that on some site posted by someone named Damien. Is that name familiar? It said something like, 'Have you seen this girl?'"

_Damien? Isn't that the person Zoe kissed?_

"So what did you find out about her?"

"She lives in Casablanca with her father and is currently in a coma somewhere in the hospital. That's all I could find."

"All right. Thanks! Listen, I'm not going to be home for a while."

"Why? Are you going to Casablanca?"

"N-no. I have some things to take care of."

She didn't know why she was lying to her best friend. Maybe she just wanted to protect her but her lips moved without her consent.

"Alright. See you then. Make sure you're back for my birthday party!"

Chloe laughed and hung up. She pulled her bag out from under her bed and began packing. Clothes…some more clothes…toothbrush…some books…diary…

"I think that's all I need…should I bring my swimsuit? Why not…um...a camera and…I think that's it."

Chloe zipped her bag up and walked over to Cindy. "Hey Cindy, I'm gonna go."

"Yeah…bye." She was engrossed with the television.

Chloe smiled and began out the door when a voice called from inside the house.

"Wait wait wait wait! You were going to leave without saying goodbye to me?"

Chloe turned around finding a hurt-looking Cindy on the doorstep.

"I said bye. You were just watching the television."

"You did? Oh well…have a nice time."

Cindy ran up and kissed Chloe on the cheek. Then almost as an afterthought, she slapped Chloe's cut and ran back inside locking the door laughing. She grimaced with pain yet smiled at 

the same time. Still holding the bandage on her forehead, she walked down the steps leading up to her home and started for the underground bullet train.

Chloe looked out the window watching the blue walls speeding past. The seat was comfortable with a built in TV on the back of the seat in front of her. A kind waiter walked around asking if anyone needed their assistance. Chloe politely declined and closed her eyes allowing sleep to steal her senses.

She woke to a voice blaring on the speaker. "We are now arriving at Casablanca. Please check for your belongings and we hope you had a pleasant trip. Thank you and please use our services again."

Chloe got up and hoisted her bag onto her back. She stepped out of the train and breathed in air.

_Wow…it's hot here…_

She walked to a taxi-calling-thingie (Sorry…couldn't think of a good name) and pressed the button. Almost immediately, a cab pulled up beside her. She stepped inside and asked for the hospital. The taxi sped forward and a couple minutes later, it stopped in front of a large and clean-looking building. She thanked the driver even though he was mechanical and stepped outside.

_So she's somewhere in there. I guess I'd better find her, get this sorted out, and go home._

She walked into the building. She was immediately greeted with human voices and the sound of rolling trolleys. She walked to the receptionist. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun. She had tight lips and a tight face. One of those tight people D.

"Hi…um…could you please tell me where Zoe Castillo's ward might be?"

The receptionist looked up from her computer and answered with an unexpected sweet and mellow voice. "Are you a friend of hers?"

"Um…y-yes."

The receptionist smiled at her and then typed into the computer. She looked up and said, "She's on the second floor, 4th door to your left."

Chloe thanked her and walked towards the elevator. She made her way to Zoe's room. The door was closed but a light was still shining. Zoe lay still on the bed, connected to wires to show her current condition. She lay alone in the room.

Chloe opened the door quietly and stepped inside.

…_okay Zoe…I'm here. What do I do now?_

Chloe sat beside the bed and watched her intently for the next few minutes.

_She looks peaceful. Hopefully, she'll get out of this coma and tell me something that I need to know._

She noticed a gash on Zoe's forehead.

_What? That looks like the same one that I have…_

Chloe touched it to make sure it wasn't an illusion but when her skin made contact with Zoe, everything seemed to blur.

_Oh great…now what?_

She fell with her head propped on Zoe's pillow kneeling with her hand still touching Zoe's forehead.

Chloe woke to a frozen landscape. Yet, it wasn't frozen. The surface, cool and smooth. She was standing. On the distant horizon, (If you could call it a horizon. More like the northern lights.), she saw two figures sitting down with a fire between them. One was fully clothed with strange attire and he other was nearly naked.

She looked down at herself and became suddenly aware that she was half-naked too.

_Wow…do all people go through a filter that takes your clothes off before coming here?_

Strangely, those two people were the only ones she could see in the vast landscape. She walked towards them slowly and cautiously when a thought hit her head.

_Where am I? How do I get out of here?_

She braced herself for the worst answer possible and greeted the group.

"H-hi…" she stuttered.

The two looked up and made no sign of surprise as they greeted her and made space for her to sit down.

"Um…have you been expecting me?" asked Chloe.

"Yup!" answered Zoe.

"Oh…well…hi. I'm Chloe Ashcroft."

"I'm Zoe Castillo."

The other person sat still showing no sign of emotion still as a statue.

"Oh…don't mind him. He does that all the time. For some reason…"

"Right…"

Chloe looked peculiarly at the man before taking a good look at Zoe. Just as the picture showed her. An identical match. 

"Um…why do you have a cut on your forehead?" Chloe asked.

"You tell me…how did you get it? I probably got it when you got it. I told you, we have some sort of connection. I can't explain it but it's…connected."

Zoe gave Chloe a faint smile.

"So um…you said you were trapped here right?"

"Uh huh."

"So um…am I stuck too?"

"Nope. Don't worry. I'm stuck because my body was drugged and is dysfunctional. Yours is probably safe and not drugged. You'll be able to go out by trying to think of things in the real world."

"Oh…sorry."

"About what?"

"You can't get out of here."

"I kind of accepted that anyway."

"So um…where is this place. Is this the Arcadia you talked about?"

"No…it's some place that I don't really know. You shouldn't ask him either. He talks on and on about it until you just want to tell him to shut up."

Chloe laughed and asked, "Is there any way to get you out of here? You're a lot braver than me so you can exploit WATIcorp. I'm just a normal girl so I want to help you get out of this place."

"I'm not sure if there's a way. You can always travel over to Arcadia and ask someone there."

"How do I travel there?"

"Um…I don't know the best and risk-free way but if you hook yourself to The Dreamer, you'll end up there. That is…if you're like me. Which you probably are."

"O…kay. But didn't you say that they were dangerous and I'd be dead if I used it?"

"No. If you're like me…which you probably are, you mind is shut off to The Dreamer core. They won't be able to access your mind."

"So…where would I get one?"

"Um…I think you can get one at my house. Somewhere…if Helena Chang left it there…"

"Who?"

"Never mind. My house is at the very end of the street across from the store called, 'Alien The Cat.' If my father isn't home, you can smash the door in or just ask my Watilla to open the door for you."

"Alright…okay then…how do I go back again?"

"Just focus your thoughts on reality. Like the hospital room I'm in and wish you were there. I haven't tried it so I wouldn't know but that's what this man told me."

The strange man just sat still, eyes closed not aware of anything that was happening. Or so it seemed.

Chloe focused hard on the hospital room, wishing she were there. As soon as it started, her body began to dissolve bottom to top.

"Good luck" said Zoe as the remains of Chloe's face disappeared.

Chloe woke up in the hospital room with her hand touching Zoe's forehead. She immediately repulsed, afraid that she would get transported back to that strange place. She sat there for a moment before heading out the door to the street. She called another cab and asked for the store named, "Alien The Cat." Apparently, it was quite popular with the everyday crowd and machines. It led her straight to the store's doorstep.

Apparently, it was closed. In fact, it looked as if it were raided and searched. Half of the little doorway of bead was gone and speaker attached to the side of the doors were broken. She warily looked around before asking someone on the street.

"Um…excuse me? Why is this store closed?"

"You're not from around here right?" asked the man, "Well…The Eye came and raided the shopkeeper's store. There's a rumor that says that Olivia, the shopkeeper, was selling illegal software and just paid for it. She ran away before they came so she isn't arrested but she's on the run."

"Thank you."

Chloe walked up some steps leading opposite from the store and followed the path until she hit a dead end. To her right, there was a rather large house which looked like it hadn't been inhabited in days. She walked right up onto the doorstep and pushed the ringer. No answer came from within the house. Uneasy silence. She didn't know how to call Zoe's Watilla so her only option now was to break down the door. She gathered enough courage to ram the door when a deep voice from the house asked, "Can I help you?"

Chloe, not knowing where the voice came from, jumped and searched all around her for a living being. "Who's there?"

"My name is Wonkers. The Watilla. Do you have business here?"

"Umm…yes. I'm a friend of Zoe's and she asked me to come here to get something."

"Really? Come on in then."

The door swung open to admit her. Chloe stepped inside. The place was a mess. There was a burnt smell lingering in the air with objects left all over the place. A purple Watilla waddled over to Chloe and asked, "Is she getting better?"

"Um…yes. She's getting a lot better. I think she's going to make it."

"That's good. So what did you say you needed?"

"Um…do you have one of The Dreamer console's here? Zoe told me to get it from her house."

"You mean the round things with something like flowers coming out?"

"Yes. Something like that…I think."

"I left it upstairs in her room. Follow me."

Chloe followed the Watilla upstairs. He led her to a closet and sat down, switching himself off. Chloe opened the closet and pulled out an alien-looking object. She stuffed it in her bag. Behind the console, there was a black syringe. She decided to take that too.

_Now I have to find someplace to sleep. Maybe I can sleep here…but to avoid awkward questions…maybe I should…_

Chloe walked over to the Watilla and removed the power source. 

_I'll rest for one day, then I'll try hooking up to The Dreamer._

She glanced around the room. It was pretty messy. There was a really large window and a balcony. A bathroom on the other side of the room with the bed in the middle. She walked over to the bathroom.

_I think I'll take a bath._

She stripped off all of her clothes and turned the tap trying to get a good, moderate, water temperature. She plugged the drain and waited for the bath to fill. When it reached the near top, she stopped the water and dipped herself into the bath. It felt good against her skin. She sighed and dipped her head into the water, allowing the water to wash away a sticky layer made from the heat of the sun. 

After her refreshing soak, she dressed and went out onto the balcony.

_Wow…a sofa on the balcony. Looks like Zoe was rich._

She sat down and looked without really seeing. The cool night air blew her long hair over her eyes. She brushed it away and lay down sideways on the sofa. It wasn't cold. After a while, she drifted off to sleep…

Chloe woke up to the sound of rapid chirps. She sat up and found some birds sitting on the balcony railing. She smiled and hummed a tune to herself as she went to the bathroom to get 

ready for the day. She splashed water on her cute face. (Besides the cut. Which actually kind of makes her cuter. Depends what your taste is.)

_Now I have to get hooked up into The Dreamer. Better now then later. I want this to be over…C'mon…don't back out now…alright…in one hour…just to get ready._

Chloe dried her face with a towel, trying to dispel some of the morning chill. She jumped onto the bed and looked out the window. She could see that a small rectangle of the window was thicker than the other parts.

_Ooo. Maybe she has one of those window screens._

She said out loud, "Central, Screen On!"

The window became distorted and then showed a clear picture of the morning news.

"—has left several people unconscious and in need of medical attention. Back to you."

"Thank you Diane. Now, WATIcorp has released news of their latest project, 'Alchera' to the public."

Chloe's ears perked up as she strained to listen to every bit of detail on this update. 

"WATIcorp stated in a conference that The Dreamer Console was scheduled to be released in four months but WATIcorp has moved the date closer to one month from tomorrow. The much anticipated console that can supposedly make dreams into reality. Since the date has been moved forward, it would be safe to say that the production of the product is going extremely well. Better than expected. Well…that's all the news for today. Thank you for being with us."

Chloe stared at the screen, hardly able to believe what she had just heard.

_One month? What can we accomplish in one month? Maybe I should try to hook up right now and not waste anymore time._

Chloe found her bag and pulled out The Dreamer with the small black syringe. 

_Hm…what's the black syringe for? Maybe I'll just leave it. Now…I have to lie down…_

Chloe lied down comfortably on the bed staring at the ceiling. She studied the console and found a button. She lay the console down beside her and clicked the button. A small red light beeped showing a message. It said, "Please inject Morpheus."

_I guess I'll have to use the syringe._

She picked it up and hesitated. Then, closing her eyes, she stabbed herself in the neck and injected a small amount of the drug. Then, she clicked the button…

**End Note:**

Well…I hope you liked that. That was a bit longer than the previous chapter. Sorry for the long delay but it was March Break and thus a time for friends, family, and the computer. This chapter didn't have too much action but then again, the title is, "The Calm Before the Storm" so I don't think you expected that much. There will be a lot more action in the next chapter so…look out! The next one may not come out for a while. I have to play Dreamfall again to get a grasp on the storyline and refresh my memory. There are probably some grammatical errors but…w/e. Cyah!

-Phoenix Lennox-


End file.
